These are real socks, as in as thick as most athletic socks, with a keyhole. For me, that adds padding and comfort, especially in heels. I have small feet but REALLY large calves and these fit fine. I'm also short, so my pants tend not to show these, but if you're super tall and have a lot of ankle peeking, you might want to stick to the black on black.I hate those forsaken sock liners because I've never found one that would STAY ON, especially at the heel, that didn't defeat the no-show purpose right out of the box. This obviously eliminates that issue.I also like that they're thick because I can wear them with my flats, be cute, and break the flats in to be looser at the same time so that I can wear them barefoot or with liners more comfortably.That said, I would LOVE to have the option to buy these in a thinner version as well, for warmer months, so that I can have the heel stability without the added warmth.